University of Sydney, Australia emerged champions of the Quest International University Perak World Universities Peace Invitational Debate 2017 (QIUP WUPID 2017) held in Ipoh last night (13 December 2017).
The Aussies comprising Clyde Welsh and James Pacino edged out University of Oxford, London School of Economics and National University of Singapore in the grand finals with their excellent oratory skills. Clyde Welsh, 22 also emerged as the Best Debater.
Completing 3 rounds of debating, preliminaries, as well as quarter-finals and semi-finals, all of which were held starting 9th December, the top four teams proved their worth by winning their rounds in this keenly contested competition.
The competition saw 32 teams from 20 global institutions representing 6 countries, namely the United Kingdom, Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia showcasing their oratory skills.
QIUP, as the title sponsor and host university, received a total of 150 participants, consisting of university debaters, adjudicators, registered observers and volunteers.
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Megat Najmuddin Khas, QIUP council member and Non-Executive Director of QI Group, congratulated the top 4 teams and stressed the importance of debating skills in shaping the youths of tomorrow.
“To the four teams that are here today at the finals, I congratulate you. I am sure it was a tough journey and you have proved yourself worthy to be the finalists of QIUP WUPID 2017. For the rest of the teams, don’t despair. You have tried your best and be proud of your achievement as you went up against the world’s best debaters.
“We view debating as an important tool in innovation as it has proven to be a significant element for policy-design and decision-making. We recognise that freedom of innovation is a key driver for economic growth, and as Malaysia continues to move towards a high-value, knowledge-based economy with a strong focus on the services and manufacturing sectors, the culture of debating will play a pivotal role that not only raises the overall efficiency and productivity of the nation, but also preserving the moral and ethical standards of its collective society.” public and private sectors, as well as civil society organisations,” stressed Tan Sri Megat.
Additionally, the three-day debate saw students injecting funny anecdote in their presentation, and certainly grabbed the audience’s attention.
They maintained good eye contact with the audience, used their Voice and Hands effectively, grabbed attention at the beginning, and closed with a dynamic end. They concluded with a summary and a strong statement that the audience will surely remember.
As organisers QIUP hopes the competition gave local debaters exposure to meet the international standards of debating, and inspire other youths to take up debating.
The event was also attended by QIUP Vice Chancellor, Dato’ Professor Dr. Raman Narayanasamy, Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Nicholas Goh and senior members of the University’s management team.
The champion of the QIUP WUPID 2017 received a cash prize of RM10,000. The other finalists received RM2,000 each while the best speaker was awarded RM1,000.
